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A sound card jack is a type of interface used for sending or receiving signals from a sound card. They have evolved from TRS connectors to optical and RCA jacks, and are now integrated into most motherboards. Color-coded jacks are used for different types of speakers and other audio equipment.
A sound card jack is one of the types of interface on a sound card. For most cards, they are the primary method of sending or receiving signals from the sound card. On a sound card, the “jack” referred to is typically a Tip/Ring/Sleeve (TRS) connector, more commonly called a stereo plug, but any connector on a standard sound card can be called a jack. You can use a sound card jack for audio input or output.
During the late 1980s and well into the 1990s, sound cards replaced the personal computer (PC) speaker as the primary method of producing sound. While the early cards were very rudimentary, within 10 years the cards had advanced significantly. In the beginning there were few connectors on a standard card, but by the turn of the century the number of “basic” connections had grown significantly.
In the mid to late 1990s, sound cards began to change. They switched from stereo jacks to optical connections and Radio Corporation of America (RCA) jacks. Also, motherboard manufacturers began to build simple sound cards right into their products. As technology has improved, integrated sound cards have become a standard part of most motherboards. These cards are often nearly as powerful as their equivalent expansion cards with many similar features.
Any sound card, whether it’s integrated or not, has jacks that the card uses to receive or send information to external sources. The original TRS jacks are still common, but now share space with many other connector types. Many sound cards have an optical connection, although it may be on a daughter card with integrated sound. Also, some sound cards use standard RCA connectors or high-definition audio jacks to allow the card to connect directly to a television or digital video disc (DVD) player.
Most cards use a color-coded sound card jack system. Lime green jacks are standard headphone or front speaker jacks, making them the most common jacks. A black sound card jack is for center speakers and orange is for a rear speaker or subwoofer. The brown jacks are for special speakers that pass sound between them to give the illusion of moving sounds. These are the main speaker connections.
In addition to speaker jacks, there are several other sound card jacks in a standard set. A light blue sound card jack is the line channel for connecting other audio equipment. The pink jacks are specific to microphones. The gray jacks are used for Music Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) connections, and the gold are the game ports.
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